The Funniest MCU Characters Ranked

Many different elements shape the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Superior storytelling, compelling characters, bruising battles, colorful clothing, chiseled chests — the list goes on and on. One fundamental component that absolutely must factor into the mix, though, is the constant stream of high-end humor that flows like an infectious laugh from one end of the MCU to the other. From moments of subtle wit to something as ridiculous as a drunk Tony Stark blasting a watermelon mid-flight, a good laugh is a staple of every Marvel movie.

Of course, none of the wisecracking would exist without the numerous characters that facilitate it. The question is, who's the funniest one of the bunch? Taking into account every personality across the Marvel Universe (including both lead and supporting roles), we've come up with a VIP list of the funniest MCU characters ever created. Here they are — starting with those who keep us pleasantly smiling and working our way up to the ones who have us busting a gut on a regular basis.

Steve Rogers' presence in any story has typically had a sobering, serious effect. He's always trying to bring people together, rally the hopeless, and stand by his morals even when it means the U.S. government and half of the Avengers turn on him. In fact, the weighty tone of Captain America's trilogy of films hardly sets him up to make the cut for a list like this. And yet the truth is, even if he doesn't stand out as a funny character on paper, the way Marvel has presented Captain America over the years has allowed him to be one of the funniest sources of comic relief in the MCU.

Right from the get-go, it's hard not to smile as we watch a wimpy, CGI-ed Steve Rogers desperately trying to sneak past military recruiters one way or another. Once he fully takes on the Captain America persona, much of the humor comes from his deep-seated habit to maintain a publicly G-rated, patriotic personality. Though he often refers to a past that none of his peers can relate to, he clearly takes joy in surprising them with a perceptive and witty observation or two. Also, his public service announcement videos are hilarious.

One of the best things about the Iron Man series is the introduction of director Jon Favreau's character, Happy Hogan. From the moment he stepped onto the screen as Tony Stark's bodyguard, Happy's always been good for a laugh, and Favreau's comedic chemistry with the rest of the Iron Man movies' cast has been spot on.

The presence of Happy and the semi-inept skill set that he brings to the table — especially in a world brimming with superheroes — makes him a priceless addition to the MCU. Who could forget his one-on-one duel with a single guard as Natasha Romanoff takes out the entire Hammer Industries security team? Or his perpetually aggravated attitude as he corrals an overly ambitious Peter Parker? His involvement in the Spider-Man storyline seems to also now involve a budding romance with Aunt May, which could imply that the "Forehead of Security" is going to continue to be a comedic bright spot and continual source of smiles as Phase 4 of the MCU officially takes flight.

The second Tom Holland's Spider-Man swung onto the screen in Captain America: Civil War, he was a runaway success. Not only was he adored for his role in helping the Avengers and his work cleaning up the streets of the Big Apple, fans also immediately fell in love with his wisecracking humor. A healthy dose of Peter Parker's chill monologuing is priceless in any situation, whether he's stopping a band of Avengers-masked ATM thieves, chatting while he fights with Captain America, or commenting on Mantis' appearance as they prepare to face off against Thanos on Titan.

Tom Holland's poise, facial expressions, and mannerisms all add up to make him the funniest version of Spidey to date, bringing an air of lighthearted frivolity to everything he does. Take, for instance, his interrogation of Aaron Davis in Spider-Man: Homecoming. Even in uniform, his desperation as he stutters and struggles with his suit's deep-voiced interrogation mode is enough to have the audience on the floor.

And then there's the casual way he makes his fellow heroes feel old. From referencing that "really old movie" The Empire Strikes Back to informing Star-Lord that Footloose was never the greatest movie in the universe, this Spider-Man is a stellar mixture of heroism and humor.

Sneaking just ahead of Peter Parker on the list is his sidekick and bestie Ned Leeds. While Parker may have plenty of humor, Ned is the epitome of comic relief, which is impressive since he's backing up a character who hardly needed help making people laugh in the first place. Once again, from facial expressions to overreactions and a constant stream of one-liners crafted to keep the audience grinning, Ned turns everything he touches to laughs.

Case in point: the moment when he discovers that Parker is Spider-Man and sends his half-completed Lego Death Star smashing to the floor. His jaw-dropping reaction to the revelation is priceless and only snowballs from there as he accompanies his pal throughout the rest of the film, asking him questions and clearly getting a bit of a superhero contact high. Ned's antics don't stop in Homecoming, either. In Avengers: Infinity War, he once again gets the crowd laughing as he inadvertently distracts everyone in the bus by raising the alarm over the arrival of Ebony Maw's ship over New York City. As long as Ned's around, the good times are sure to keep rolling.

It doesn't take much to figure out that the God of Mischief would easily make the cut for a list of the funniest characters in the MCU. Whether he's masquerading around Asgard as his father, stirring up the Avengers to fight each other on the Helicarrier, or being smashed into a pulp by Hulk in Avengers Tower, Loki has never failed to bring a smile to everyone's face... including his own. The perpetually smirking Prince of Asgard has always ridden the line between hero and villain, but regardless of his part in the greater story, whenever Loki's in a scene, a joke is never far away. 

Many of the best moments have come between the Prince of Lies and his brother Thor. The pair share a twisted, rather violent brotherly love for each other, as their constant ribbing, joking, side comments, and occasional stabbing bear witness to. Whether they're on Earth or Asgard, Jotunheim or Sakaar, the humorous back-and-forth between these siblings has always angled toward a laugh.

The addition of Black Panther's sister to the MCU was just as welcome in the comedic department as it was in the scientific one — which was significant. Seriously, how many people get to tell the Bruce Banner "I'm sure you did your best" with such a playfully condescending tone? The Wakandan princess made waves early and often. She isn't afraid to mock tradition — especially when it involves the annoying requirement to wear a corset — and is always ready with a smart, stinging, sarcastic jab. "Don't scare me like that, colonizer" became an instantly iconic line for good reason.

And that's not even touching on the incessant heckling of her superhero brother. Whether she's teasing him about his reaction to seeing Nakia or flipping him the bird as she makes her exit, the tough-yet-endearing back-and-forth between these two has been a constant source of mirth. Shuri's wit and humor have been cleverly sharp and constantly on point, from inventing the one true sneaker to recording her brother being thrown across the room... for research purposes, of course.

Luis would have made the list before the truth serum scene, but after, he's an MVP. Much like Ned Leeds with Peter Parker, over the course of the Ant-Man movies, Luis has been the perfect comedic complement to his ex-cellmate, Scott Lang. From his quick, straightforward commentary to his eye-popping facial expressions, just about everything Michael Peña's character has said or done has left audiences laughing.

Following Luis throughout his sidebar issues — like keeping the ridiculously mismanaged X-Con Security Consultants afloat — has been especially satisfying and demonstrates how the character manages to elevate already hilarious stories. Of course, Luis' greatest strength (or is it a weakness?) is his storytelling ability. The ex-con is famous for his passionate delivery and consistent inability to stay on track. Each story the man tells is uniquely detailed and detours into completely unnecessary asides even if his audience really doesn't want to hear them, which is usually the case.

One of the newer members of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Goose played a quiet yet crucial role in Captain Marvel. While the Flerken has certainly put her two cents in on multiple grave occasions, though, she's also served as one of the quietest sources of comic relief in the entire history of the MCU. It was a hoot when her tentacles first came out and she thrashed those Kree soldiers in Mar-Vell's Laboratory. From there, the unassuming alien kept audiences laughing as she followed up the performance by not lifting a paw when confronted by a fresh batch of Kree soldiers (and a disguised Talos) a few minutes later.

Another great comic element about Goose's character is the humor she draws out of others around her. Nick Fury's lovable interest in his furry new sidekick entertains throughout the Captain Marvel story, while Talos' quite opposite reaction to seeing the Flerken is priceless. Despite her lack of lines or extensive screen time, Goose has managed to rack up a performance among the funniest in the MCU to date.

Paul Rudd's performance as the smallest superhero of them all has been masterful over the years as the actor has steered the Ant-Man persona hard into a comedic skid. That's a good idea for a character whose best ability is to get really, really tiny. Even with the Quantum Realm playing a huge part in the future of the MCU, the smart choice for Ant-Man was to keep his solo movies light and funny, and that's exactly what we've gotten in the cinematic version of Scott Lang.

After all, how many MCU heroes have sported prison outfits and Baskin Robbins uniforms within a few minutes of each other? Lang's humor has expressed itself in so many unique and random ways over time. Take the ugly rabbit toy he gives to Cassie for her birthday or his desperate, unplanned, and hilariously apologetic scramble to take out Falcon at the Avengers facility. Whether he's making a thinly-veiled jab at his ex-wife's boyfriend or fighting Avengers at an airport in Germany, Scott Lang has always been able to effortlessly keep the audience laughing.

Thor: Ragnarok was a laugh riot from one end to the other. One of the funniest parts of the entire film, though, came when the Grandmaster had Thor thrown into the "freaky circle" where he met a "pile of rocks" called Korg and his crew. Once again coming to life via the comical magic of a director-turned-actor, the Kronan warrior — portrayed by Taika Waititi himself — is brimming with both intentional and not-so-intentional humor. The former comes through things like his bad rock-paper-scissors joke and perpetually lighthearted attitude towards adversity, while the latter comes through pretty much every single other thing the hapless gladiator does and says throughout the entire movie.

From his absent-mindedness in calling for the dead Doug to chastising his fellow gladiators for their failure to clean up the hair and blood on their weapons, Korg is sheer comedic perfection. The pièce de résistance comes when he informs Thor that he's serving time because he tried to start a revolution and "didn't print enough pamphlets." At least his mom and her boyfriend showed up, though, right? He survived the fight on Asgard, so here's hoping we get to see a good deal more of the gravelly stand-up sensation down the road.

While the MCU is chock full of humor, it's quite possible that no film has hit the comedic nail on the head as well as the James Gunn-helmed Guardians of the Galaxy series. As proof, consider the fact that four of the Guardians made the top half of the list. First up we have Peter Quill, the fearless leader of the unlikely group of ragtag, universe-saving heroes, and the primary connection that the team has to humanity.

The legendary outlaw — that only some people manage to correctly call Star-Lord — has put on a prolonged show of petulant heroics for years now. The bombastic swagger and utterly obvious insecurities that Quill is constantly displaying have kept the character's humor fresh throughout his galactic adventures. From the non-stop string of '80s references to his dance-off with Ronan the Accuser to his useless attempts to try to keep his team of misfits all happily living in one spaceship, it should come as no surprise that the unpredictable Long-Term Booty Call ranks high on the list of the MCU's all-time funniest.

Pairing up a couple of unconventional characters is a classic comic relief staple. Inigo Montoya had Fezzik. Bud Abbott had Lou Costello. Legolas had Gimli. While the MCU has several A-list comedic match-ups of its own, the team that takes the cake has to be Groot and Rocket. This dynamic duo has stolen the side-show from the day they bumped into Quill and Gamora on Xandar.

Rocket's harsh overtones have always been adorably softened by his interactions with his arboreal friend, who ultimately came to see the Sweet Rabbit as his father. The pair shined during the prison escape sequence in the first Guardians installment, as Groot unwittingly set off the alarm, and they consequentially blasted the entire joint to smithereens. 

The two Guardians have also served as a catalyst for numerous jokes and puns over the years as Groot, then baby Groot, then teenage Groot brought various tones of humor to the group's overall dynamic. From duking it out over teenage Groot's refusal to put down his handheld game during Infinity War to helping Yondu escape from his own prison, the pair have been defined by humor as much as heart.

The Ravagers may be a rough and tough galactic crime syndicate that you should always take seriously, but Yondu Udonta's Ravager crew excelled at balancing their tough side with a huge infusion of the ridiculous. The band of misfits was as entertaining as all get out, a fact that's on full display during Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, in which they're repeatedly slapped down, first by Rocket and his traps in the woods and then by Yondu and his Yaka Arrow on their ship.

While every member is worth a chuckle or two, though, there are two bright spots, in particular, in the pirate collective that are worthy of comical note. First off, we have Kraglin. James Gunn's brother, Sean, is incredibly entertaining as he recklessly cheers at Yondu's funeral, listens in horror to Nebula's plan to hunt down her father, and accidentally stabs Drax with the Yaka Arrow. And then, of course, we can't leave out Taserface. Clearly the most aptly named member of the crew, the mutinous leader has fans in hysterics every time he tries to get someone to take his name seriously.

Hulk's childish diction, petulant attitude, and willingness to smash everything in sight has made him hilariously entertaining to watch over the years. If you add Bruce Banner's hesitant, fearful mannerisms into the mix he'd probably move up the list even further, but we'll let the Green Machine stand on his own for this one. While The Incredible Hulk was a fairly sober affair, ever since the scene in Avengers where he mercilessly smashed the Puny God, the Big Guy has been hilariously entertaining. For instance, how many other Avengers have spent multiple years as a champion gladiator at this point? And that Roman plume on his helmet? Priceless.

One of the best Hulk sequences, though, has to be his impressively long conversation with Thor in their chambers after they duke it out on Sakaar. While his vocabulary has impressively expanded at this point, his manners aren't any better off. From the "baby arms" line to laughing at Thor for running into the forcefield, the whole scene is an amusing treat from a character that is typically more brawn than brains.

Jeff Goldblum's gut-busting role as the Sakaaran Grandmaster in Thor: Ragnarok may have been short, but it was packed to the brim with the sort of humor that could only thrive in a Taika Waititi production. Watching the master of the Contest of Champions as he puts the "Lord of Thunder" in his place and gleefully places him into gladiatorial combat is pure comedic bliss.

He may regret his decision to include "Sparkles" in the competition, when all is said and done, but that doesn't stop the one-liners from rolling. The Grandmaster's perpetually nonchalant mannerisms as he scrambles to stop Thor and Hulk from escaping from the planet adds the perfect level of warped humor to his clearly demented character. From daydreaming about public executions to congratulating his own people for overthrowing him, there's no doubt that the fascinatingly bizarre fellow has earned his place on the list in spades.

The king of comebacks and witty one-liners, Tony Stark's comedic prowess has been established from the very beginning of it all. The guy literally kicks off the entire MCU by trolling a soldier about using a "gang sign" in a picture. From there, the quick wit became so typical it was expected even in the direst of circumstances. While Stark's character isn't as inherently comical as others on the list, his ability to get a crowd to laugh at someone else is formidable. From insulting Thor with a "Shakespeare in the Park" crack to warning Hawkeye that he "better clench up, Legolas," his countless clever responses never fail to get a laugh.

In addition to the personal insults, nothing that Stark says can be taken at face value. He's literally incapable of responding to others without lacing each and every sentence with some level of humor. Case in point, his duel with Thanos on Titan. With the fate of the universe at stake and the deck stacked against him, Stark's first line upon reentering the fight is "You throw another moon at me, and I'm going to lose it." It may not be slapstick, but when it comes to wordplay, the man never fails to deliver.

Thor is hands down one of the funniest characters in the MCU. Whether he's barbarically demanding more coffee by smashing his mug on the floor or rubbing elbows with the Guardians of the Galaxy while the universe is on a crash course with Thanos, the Asgardian hero is always ready to humor the masses. In fact, considering his incredible power level, the God of Thunder has been able to blend high-stakes heroics and slapstick humor like no other MCU character to date.

One unique element to Thor's humor is that so much of the comedy surrounding the hammer-wielding Avenger is starkly set against the backdrop of his own personal tragedy. The truth is, the higher-ups at Marvel have absolutely loved beating up the happy-go-lucky warrior over the years. And yet, the champion's impressively (dare we say absurdly) positive attitude, coupled with the more recent can of absolute insanity that Taika Waititi opened up on his storyline, has given Thor's comedy a flavor all its own — and it's absolutely mesmerizing.

At the end of the day, it doesn't matter if he's asking for a pet to ride, reminding his teammates about his own might, or fuming at Star-Lord for copying him — when the Odinson speaks, laughter is soon to follow.

Two words: why is Gamora? The task of fitting even a sampling of Drax's funny moments into a couple of paragraphs is impossible. It's also exactly why the Destroyer sits proudly at the top of our list of the MCU's funniest characters. The Walking Thesaurus is literal and occasionally even weirdly Shakespearean when he talks, which creates constant opportunities for humor. Take the prison break sequence in Guardians of the Galaxy, for example, where he affirms, "Nothing goes over my head. My reflexes are too fast. I would catch it."

And then there's the scene on Ego's planet in Guardians 2, in which he misunderstands Mantis' purpose for waking him up, leading him to fake vomit as he imagines being with her "physically." Perhaps the moment that sums up the muscle-bound Guardian's humor best, though, is the scene in Infinity War where he watches Star-Lord and Gamora while silently snacking on zarg-nuts from the shadows. His utter confidence in his abilities demonstrates the brashness that makes Drax a priceless comic delight whether he's in prison, fighting Avengers, or wandering through space in search of adventure with his fellow Guardians.